Work with complex software: how to migrate the cash program and not "break" the store

Over the years, Pilot has conducted hundreds of projects for the construction and reorganization of retail infrastructure. One of the most important for the store is almost always work on the migration from one cash system to a new one.

Today we will talk about the features of the cash software migration, common mistakes that companies make in this way, and advise what to look for in order to avoid them.
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Popular reasons for migration

Before diving into the details of the process of migrating cash register software, it is worthwhile to talk about why such a need arises at all. Most often, the management of the trading network decides to replace the existing software under the influence of three main reasons:

• Too expensive - many retailers are thinking about changing the current solution due to the high cost of ownership. It consists of the cost of improvements that are necessary, for example, due to changes in legislation (as was the case with the Unified State Automated Information System and 54-FZ), service, personnel costs. This is especially evident in the case of foreign software: improvements in it often cost a substantial amount. In this case, in order not to violate the law and not get out of the budget, there is a need to migrate to a new software.
• Low development speed (improvements, corrections, release updates) - development companies do not always respond promptly to customer requests, for example, to improve functionality, and fix software errors. Sometimes retailers have to wait for critical fixes for months, and functional changes can take years. If the business growth rate is higher than the development speed, then the solution needs to be changed.
• Unstable work of the solution - any simple system in retail can be directly converted into financial losses and customer dissatisfaction, which spoils the company's image.

Highlights Migration of Cash Register Software

There are several basic processes that accompany software migration:

• Drawing up high-quality technical specifications . Being a key process, it does not receive due attention from the retailer. The technical task contains only the general concept of the solution, but does not describe the features and details of business processes.
• Integration of the solution with existing back office / ERP systems . Often this process is individual for each business, therefore it requires its own approach. Although there are typical solutions with popular systems, they are not suitable for the tasks of each enterprise.
• Replacing frontal solution . At this stage, it is important to check whether the cash register software is compatible with the existing trading equipment. It is quite possible that the technical capabilities of the equipment do not allow the use of new software. In this case, the retailer may incur additional expenses for equipment upgrades, purchase of OS licenses or full replacement of devices.

Obviously, only these processes do not limit migration and usually “the devil is in the details.” But with the right approach to them, you can significantly minimize the risk of errors.

How to spoil everything: migration errors

You can bring the most popular problems encountered when planning a migration.

Mistake # 1: “until the thunder clap”

Often, the retailer makes a decision on migration at the last moment: for example, because from next month new requirements of the law will take effect. Due to the tight deadlines, there is no time left for high-quality testing, training of personnel and infrastructure for a new solution. Which means, almost certainly, the retailer will face problems.

How to avoid : you need to understand that the migration of complex software is not performed in one day. It should begin preparation in advance and lay on the project 4-5 months.

Mistake # 2: poor requirements

Terms of Reference - the foundation. The more detailed and accurate it is, the higher the likelihood that there will be no surprises in the migration process itself, and the solution itself will meet expectations. Remember that cash software is not a site on the constructor, and playing with fonts is not so easy here.

An example from our practice - in the course of one of the projects on migration to the cash software Profi-T , the customer provided us with data uploads (among them: goods, prices, system users, their privileges). Focusing on their structure, we organized the exchange between the cash and ERP-systems. Later it turned out that the data provided by the customer and the data actually working in the production environment differ in format. Therefore, the data exchange system had to be redone, which affected the deadlines for the project.

How to avoid : do not save time on drawing up the TOR, involve not only IT specialists of the retailer, but also employees who will work with the system.

Mistake # 3: we want like "them"

Often retailers think about migration to a new cash solution because they saw this software from a competitor. It does not take into account whether it is suitable for their business processes. As a result, the product does not meet their expectations and does not fulfill the entire volume of assigned tasks.

How to avoid : ask the supplier for a test sample, ask for advice on the solution possibilities, do not hesitate to ask questions.

After migration: everyone should do his own thing

A separate topic is the servicing of the trade infrastructure after the completion of the migration project to the new software. In some cases, customer companies prefer to transfer this task to their own IT department. And this is not the best solution for several reasons.

As a rule, technical staff of retail networks may lack competence in working with the new system, it takes time to study and dive. As a result, the solution of emerging problems may take longer than if the incident were immediately transferred to the developer support service, and the problem will be resolved within the deadlines indicated in the SLA.

For the same reason, software configuration errors may occur. As a result - a partial or complete inoperability of the solution for an indefinite period of time.

Therefore, Pilot company experts recommend that professionals be involved in servicing. About how our support service works, we told in a blog earlier ( one and two times ). And in another material you can read about the service maintenance of retail equipment .